Mickey Waffles Zero; Cucumbers are my Heroes! A September AND December 2020 Dining Report *Festival of the Holidays 1/31*

[pkondz]

Here we are a few days away from Halloween It's going to be a weird one and I'm curious; what all are you guys doing?

We are giving out candy. I have a 6' tube ready to slide the treats down to the kids.
No idea how many I'll get. Usually around 140, but... I asked the neighbour's kid and his friends what they were doing. 3 kids. 3 different answers. (all going/none going/going to a few places)

What a nice shot of you guys!

Snakebite Sliders*
Gourmet Beef Sliders with Tomato-Bacon Jam, House-made Pickles, Shredded Lettuce, and Cheese

I need this in my life and have just opened a tab for a tomato bacon jam recipe.

Love this photo!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Jaleo looks like fun! I love small plates and that sangria looks delish

 

[lvcourtneyy]

The best part of the night because if you think reports of crowds at Disney are scary (which FYI I don't), there was NO type of social distancing or mask enforcement or basic personal hygiene going on whatsoever!

Omg yes! We went a few weeks ago since we have memberships anyway and I wanted a taste of some haunted houses and it was awful. I mean, it never feels like the other people there are particularly clean lol but in current times, it was so much worse. We left after only a few hours!

Here we are a few days away from Halloween It's going to be a weird one and I'm curious; what all are you guys doing? Are you giving out candy at your door? Putting it on a table in your yard? Are your kids going trick or treating or are you just skipping it altogether?

This is the first Halloween in several years we won't be in WDW We bought candy and will be happy to give it out if anyone comes to the door but we're in a side apartment and didn't really do any decorating this year so I doubt we'll have many.

I told him if he doesn't go out wearing it Saturday he's wearing it to his first day of in person school next month...................

However Melinda then came up with a wonderful idea of going to MORE THAN ONE PLACE to eat that night - eat multiple times?

What a perfect idea! I've been wary of the menu at Jaleo but we were gonna try it last month for the magical dining menu but our reservation was on a Friday night and I wasn't in the mood to fight DS crowds but now I know we have to get there!

Medjoul Date and Manchego Cheese Flatbread
with Frisee and Crispy Prosciutto, Red Onion, and Balsamic Glaze

That sounds good except I don't know if I like dates? Or if I ever had them lol

 

[suse66]

Here we are a few days away from Halloween It's going to be a weird one and I'm curious; what all are you guys doing? Are you giving out candy at your door? Putting it on a table in your yard? Are your kids going trick or treating or are you just skipping it altogether? I'll have candy ready to hand out for anyone who comes although even in a good year we don't get more than 20 or so kids.

We skipped this year as cases are on the rise again in our area. We ended up going to a dinner party at a friend's place. I made pumpkin cheesecake for dessert which was yummy!

We had a great time as usual sitting outside by the water but soon it was time for our Jaleo reservation. I made an ADR because not long before our trip park hours were cut and I was concerned that DS would be MORE crowded than it had been and if we couldn't get a walk up at Jock's, WBG or anywhere else we'd at least have that. Man was I glad we all decided to go there!

Everything at Jock Lindsay's looks amazing!!

If you're read any of my previous dining reports or TR's you know that I adore sangria and order it often. This has got to be the best sangria I've had in Disney, with Skipper Canteen being a close 2nd. It's made with their signature starter blend of juices, fruit, and liquors, and then Spanish Cava Wine . We only had 1 pitcher between us but after the drinks at Jocks, believe me this was enough!

Sangria is life!

When they brought this to the table she asked what it was lol and Melinda reminded her what she ordered; good for me too because I had no idea! Sangria strikes again plus the fact that 4 of them were getting like 5 courses so stuff was being put down in front of us every 10 minutes. Jenny nicely shared this so I got one to myself. I felt bad about it afterward because this was as good as those potatoes! SO light, again savory goat cheese, sweet oranges and the crunch of almonds on top of the endive. Everything just so fresh! When we go back this and the potatoes are 2 things I will absolutely be ordering.

Oh my gosh, now I need to go to Jaleo! Your food looks fantastic!

Beautiful representation and all thought it was great. Steve and I are not Flan Fans which is why I chose sorbet but Steve went for it and ate it all. It's a texture thing for me. Steve said it had a light citrus flavor he enjoyed.

I do love flans, especially with the caramel sauce.

WHEW that was it! We were ready to ROLL out of there about 45 minutes after the restaurant closed, high on good food, great laughs with friends and of course, sangria I know Steve had a Spanish beer of some sort but was having so much fun with my ladies I did not snap a pic! Since we were the only ones left outside (and only one table inside when I went potty shortly before this) we were able to have our server get this shot of us from a safe distance:

Love this picture! You all look fabulous!

 

[CruellaNY]

Oh wow...all that food looks and sounds great. I will have to save this for a future trip for sure!

Definitely when you're comfortable going to DS try it!

I do too! Excellent food, drinks, and company!

I want to go back in February because we aren't taking the kids next month. I have a long list of where I want to eat in February lol

We are giving out candy. I have a 6' tube ready to slide the treats down to the kids.
No idea how many I'll get. Usually around 140, but... I asked the neighbour's kid and his friends what they were doing. 3 kids. 3 different answers. (all going/none going/going to a few places)

How'd it go? We only usually get 20 or so kids so I made up 15 bags and put them on our porch; we went out anyway. Only 2 were taken when we got back. Chris was at a friends and they're in a huge neighborhood with lots of kids, they went trick or treating and he has a bag FULL of candy. He said most houses had it outside in some form.

What a nice shot of you guys!

ove this photo!

Ha so do I!

Jaleo looks like fun! I love small plates and that sangria looks delish

It was a great surprise! I've only heard about it from a couple co-workers, Melinda and Kari who ate at one near her in DC I think. It's not one you see lots of reviews about not sure why. Can't wait to go back!

Omg yes! We went a few weeks ago since we have memberships anyway and I wanted a taste of some haunted houses and it was awful. I mean, it never feels like the other people there are particularly clean lol but in current times, it was so much worse. We left after only a few hours!

Ugh Steve wanted to leave but felt bad for the boys especially since it was part of Chris's birthday present but we really felt gross. Have you been to the one in New England? Just a totally different vibe and type of people! I liked Lady of the Lake Graveyard though

This is the first Halloween in several years we won't be in WDW

That's very sad but you have something so wonderful to look forward to ❤

That sounds good except I don't know if I like dates? Or if I ever had them lol

LOL. I never have eaten dates alone but my grandmother used to make dessert bars with dates in them. Still had no idea exactly what they tasted like but the rest of the flatbread sounded delicious and in my head I just thought "sweet and savory". I don't even know how to describe what a date tastes like!

 

[CruellaNY]

We skipped this year as cases are on the rise again in our area. We ended up going to a dinner party at a friend's place. I made pumpkin cheesecake for dessert which was yummy!

But that still sounds like a great night!

Everything at Jock Lindsay's looks amazing!!

We always enjoy everything there including the atmosphere

Oh my gosh, now I need to go to Jaleo! Your food looks fantastic!

I recommend this SO much! Definitely put it on your list for when you return, in 2021

Love this picture! You all look fabulous!

Aw thank you

 

[pkondz]

How'd it go?

I tested the tube in the afternoon. The first item was too small and didn't go through, so I took a full size bar (that's what I give out) and sent it down. It got stuck too.
I figured out that they just needed a little... "oomph". So I'd kinda shoot them down the tube. They came out pretty fast, but it worked!

We only usually get 20 or so kids so I made up 15 bags and put them on our porch; we went out anyway. Only 2 were taken when we got back

So you got the same proportion, exactly, that I got. 10%. Instead of 140, we got 14.

Chris was at a friends and they're in a huge neighborhood with lots of kids, they went trick or treating and he has a bag FULL of candy. He said most houses had it outside in some form.

Niiiiice.

 

[CruellaNY]

I figured out that they just needed a little... "oomph". So I'd kinda shoot them down the tube. They came out pretty fast, but it worked!

I picture you shooting the candy down to a little kid and it coming so fast it knocks them over lol.

 

[pkondz]

I picture you shooting the candy down to a little kid and it coming so fast it knocks them over lol.

I was actually worried about that a bit!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Halloween was a bit of a damp squib here. It rained most of the day so my wee Grandson &co couldn't visit from the garden though I did get photos of him all dressed up as Marshal from Paw Patrol and we facetimed which was fun though half the time I can't make out if he's speaking to me in Danish or just babbling as 2 year olds do. His dad is Danish so he speaks Danish to him and my daughter speaks English to him so hopefully he will speak both languages fluently eventually. Because covid numbers are high here the powers that be had asked for people to refrain from trick or treating but instead people decorated and then kids did a kind of pumpkin trail, mostly with their parents, without knocking doors for the sweets. We could see some fireworks and hear loads more and the moon was amazing. My daughter took Lucas for a walk through their neighbourhood and said he kept waving/saying "hi" to the skeletons and waiting for them to wave back My youngest made halloween cookies which we all ate but he wasn't up for the usual bobbing for apples and doesn't like apple tart so I didn't bother baking it as I would only eat it all and my jeans are telling me Nooooo More Treats!!!

Your meal at Jaleo looks great. I love lots of small plates and both the potatoes and goats cheese would be right up my alley. A pitcher of sangria mixed tableside sounds pretty great too! Love the group shot of you all. Sounds like a fab night!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Here we are a few days away from Halloween It's going to be a weird one and I'm curious; what all are you guys doing? Are you giving out candy at your door? Putting it on a table in your yard?

I put a card table near the sidewalk in front of our house and continuously restocked the table with about 12 pieces of candy at a time. I bought four bags of candy and I had one piece left at the end of the night. We had more kids than normal and I was really happy that so many kids came out this year. We also had a sunny day with temps in the 50's. A lot of people had their fire pits going and our block had a party after 5:30pm. Halloween was a success.

Medjoul Date and Manchego Cheese Flatbread

I will admit that this is something I would never order. But I do believe you when you say it is good. We enjoy sitting by the water at the Hangar Bar and it looks like you had a nice time there.

plus the fact that 4 of them were getting like 5 courses so stuff was being put down in front of us every 10 minutes.

Jaleo looks like a fun place to go when you have a group that can share the food. That way no one is stuck with a dish they hate. Someone is going to like it.

 

[vamassey1]

I'm soooo full just reading about your food. Lots of interesting flavors.

 

[CruellaNY]

we facetimed which was fun though half the time I can't make out if he's speaking to me in Danish or just babbling as 2 year olds do. His dad is Danish so he speaks Danish to him and my daughter speaks English to him so hopefully he will speak both languages fluently eventually.

That's great that he's learning Danish! Funny though that you can't understand him sometimes lol

nstead people decorated and then kids did a kind of pumpkin trail, mostly with their parents, without knocking doors for the sweets. We could see some fireworks and hear loads more and the moon was amazing

That really sounds nice. Fireworks on Halloween isn't a thing here but that sure would be cool!

My daughter took Lucas for a walk through their neighbourhood and said he kept waving/saying "hi" to the skeletons and waiting for them to wave back

Adorable!

Love the group shot of you all. Sounds like a fab night!

It was as usual!

I put a card table near the sidewalk in front of our house and continuously restocked the table with about 12 pieces of candy at a time. I bought four bags of candy and I had one piece left at the end of the night. We had more kids than normal and I was really happy that so many kids came out this year.

Happy it was a good turnout! At least it was one thing the kids didn't have taken from them. Chris ended up having a really good time; Ricky and his suitemates had a horro movie marathon while playing Trivial Pursuit lol

I will admit that this is something I would never order. But I do believe you when you say it is good

I've come out of my comfort zone at Disney a few times these last few years! The first time I ordered it I figured how bad could it be? Glad I tried it

I'm soooo full just reading about your food. Lots of interesting flavors.

LOL we were ALL full that night; it was so much food especially after Jock's. I'm just really glad we gave it a try!

 

[disneyAndi14]

What a fun night with Disney friends. The food and drinks look very good!
The shrimp and potatoes yum!

 

[CruellaNY]

What a fun night with Disney friends. The food and drinks look very good!
The shrimp and potatoes yum!

It was a great night as usual and you guys should try it! I think they have enough vegetarian dishes for Andi to enjoy? Although it may be too adventurous lol

 

[CruellaNY]

Happy November friends! It's now the season of lots of food I don't know if I've mentioned here that we're going to Disney for Thanksgiving but since most of you follow my TR you probably know anyway. As far as where we're eating on the holiday, nobody in the family is really a big lover of the traditional Turkey day eats so it didn't matter where we ate any more than any other day! Therefore we plan on doing Yak & Yeti with our Landry's card for lunch (we'll be in AK obviously) and then we're going to the Boathouse for dinner. I've had lunch there once but it'll be new to the kids and Steve and hopefully we'll see some of the neat holiday trees that are spread throughout DS this year. 15 days to go and I cannot wait to be back!

Speaking of back......

The morning after Jaleo found moi sleeping in and Steve, as usual, up before the sun and walking down by Geyser Point:



He always gets such beautiful sunrise shots when we stay here! Once I was up and ready we started our day with a TS breakfast very convenient to our Copper Creek Studio - Whispering Canyon Cafe.

It had been a few years since we did breakfast here. Neither of us were in love with the idea but I figured we'd be eating QS in the park and the idea of going in having had a decent meal sounded good.

Our reservation was for 8:45 and we were seated right away, in that "outer" room that's usually reserved for guests who don't want to deal with any shenanigans in the normal times. Here you can see the distancing; our table is where you see the top of the coffee pot:



They did seat someone at that table in the corner while we were there but it was far enough from us.

We had coffee and diet coke and we both got the Heritage breakfast skillet:

The Heritage
House-made Buttermilk-Cheddar Biscuits and Sausage Gravy with Mickey Waffles, Scrambled Eggs, Country Potatoes, Hickory-smoked Bacon, Pork Sausage Links



It also came with biscuits and gravy which I did not try because I don't like biscuits and gravy! Question: is that worse than not like Star Wars?
Anyway I did have the bacon, eggs, and Mickey waffles. The bacon was fine and the eggs were good Disney eggs I happen to like. The sad part is that these waffles were just as bad as the ones at Roaring Fork a few days earlier and on our July trip at Beach Club. So for our 4th post-COVID attempt at Mickey waffles we still had to give them a big

Nothing stood out here but hey, we didn't go to the park hungry. And go to a park we did:




I know I shared that in my TR but I love that shot This was our first day in MK and we got to see lots of Halloween cavalcades and characters! We ran into high posted wait times with low actual waits and eventually needed some lunch. We had a TS for dinner and had good luck with mobile order at Pecos Bill in July so tried it again.

BUT mobile order was down throughout Disney so instead we waited on line outside the restaurant. Again the line looked long but after less than 15 minutes we were inside and ordering.

In July I had the pork carnitas nachos and I was planning to get those again, but on line I panicked with FOMO and instead ordered the special fall
Hades Nachos
black bean nacho chips with “fiery” buffalo chicken, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa, and jalapeño.



Now that's an appetizing shot if ever I took one! They were really not bad. But they WERE spicy, a bit too much so for me and I like spicy. The other condiments are usually on the fixin's bar but now are just on the side.
Steve ate some and I ate a few but mostly I worked on my pork carnitas tacos:



Toppings on the side; tomatoes, lettuce, cheese and sour cream:



The meat was good! It tasted a little different than the meat in the nachos and I do prefer the nachos but the tacos were decent. Steve got the same thing he got in July:

Southwest Salad with Chicken
Mixed Greens topped with Seasoned Chicken, Roasted Corn and Bean Salsa, Tomatoes and Tortilla Crisps




He loves this but I think it looks less appetizing than the Hades Nachos. Either way we enjoyed lunch here both times and with Columbia Harbor House closed this would be our first choice for QS. We had no trouble finding a seat this time indoors and there's lots of seating outside. People also take food into the Relaxation Station across the way by the Pirate's Adventure. Good idea but then there just isn't room for those who need a mask break but aren't eating.

We continued riding rides with wait times 30 minutes or less like It's a Small World - hi!



And eventually I needed a snack. I almost went to the Confectionary but then remembered another Halloween treat I'd wanted to try! So instead we checked to see if mobile ordering was working (it was) and did a quick order to Pinocchio Village Haus that we picked up 10 minute later:

Not-So-Poison Apple Cupcake
spiced jumbo apple cupcake with pecan crunch and buttercream



OMG YES! I cannot tell you how scrumptious this was! I'm not a cupcake person and don't usually feel the need to try any specialty ones but this one really blew me away. The spiced cake was delicious and the pecan crunch was neat. There was a lot of frosting but to me there's really never too much frosting; since the cake part wasn't overly sweet it went well with the frosting.

I managed to eat just about the whole thing and this is HUGE. Keep on reading to see what Steve occupied his time with while I had my eyes on this baby........................

 

[CruellaNY]

Here's another shot of my dessert:



And here's my artsy take on Steve's treat:



These were the perfect way to end our time in the park today! We left after this and passed a few more cavalcades and characters on top of the train station and soon were relaxing in the WL quiet pool again! After about 90 minutes it was time to get out and get dressed for our last dinner with our friends Jenny and Joe:



at another new to us place - The Wave. We'd been here for breakfast before but not dinner, however Jenny assured me it was worth it! First up was my drink:

Raspberry Mojito
Bacardi Raspberry Rum, Mount Gay Eclipse Rum, Lime Juice, Mint, and Raspberry Purée topped with Soda Water



Nothing on the menu with my newfound love cucumber; however I'd discovered mint may not be bad in drinks so I ordered a mojito for the first time! Between that and the lime juice this was so light and refreshing just like my drink at Terralina that first night. Yup I got another! No idea what Steve had - fail - but I'm assuming it was either a Mule or something with bourbon.

We both got an appetizer as there were so many on the menu that looked good!

Lump Crab Cakes
Old Bay Rémoulade, Corn Slaw



Here is Steve's; not sure if Jenny or Joe also got this again but I think they'd gotten it their last visit and recommended it to him. He loved these, especially the Old Bay Remoulade! He ate every bit including the slaw. I got the seasonal soup which was a tomato:



I need to start taking notes when we order something seasonal or a chef's special because I cannot remember what was on the large crouton! There was also another flavor element in the soup; endive maybe? But it was absolutely delicious. I'm a sucker for a good tomato soup!

For entrees Steve stuck with seafood and ordered the Catch of the Day:



Salmon with a type of couscous and parmesan......thing? Crouton? Yeah again, I need to take better notes on specials! He doesn't like when salmon isn't cooked enough and this was cooked perfect for him.

As many of you know I don't do seafood so I got this:

Grilled Beef Tenderloin*
Potato Gratin, Seasonal Vegetables, Peppadew Vinaigrette



I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was! I'd heard good things; but breakfast our last time didn't wow me so I was feeling a little nervous about dinner. It was such a great experience made better by our good friends being there ❤ Sadly they were leaving the next day so we had to say good-bye; until February when we'll see them in Disney again for MY birthday! Can't wait, it's been too long already!

We said good-bye and got in our Lyft back to the Lodge when I got a text from Melinda @pepperandchips, who if you remember was also staying there. It was about 9ish? So we decided to meet at Geyser Point for a bit!

We got seats out by the water and how happy I was that they DID have a lovely cucumber drink on their menu! Bring in a VO-jito for the win:

Cucumber and Mint Vojito
Ketel One Botanical Cucumber and Mint, Lime Juice, and Pure Cane Sugar topped with Soda Water



Of all the drinks I had on the trip this was by far my favorite. I cannot believe how much lighter these cucumber/mint drinks are than the usual sweet drinks I get! I had 2 and was ready for a 3rd when we found out that unfortunately the bar had closed Stupid COVID and early closing times! Well in hindsight it was probably better I didn't have the 3rd one after the Wave drinks and these 2; we had a lovely time catching up more with the Mr. and Mrs. and planned more time with them the next night.

Not the best late night selfie:



Love this lady! We called it a night right after they closed. A day and a half of good eating left!

 

[kittylady1972]

Raspberry Mojito
Bacardi Raspberry Rum, Mount Gay Eclipse Rum, Lime Juice, Mint, and Raspberry Purée topped with Soda Water

View attachment 537485

Nothing on the menu with my newfound love cucumber; however I'd discovered mint may not be bad in drinks so I ordered a mojito for the first time! Between that and the lime juice this was so light and refreshing just like my drink at Terralina that first night. Yup I got another! No idea what Steve had - fail - but I'm assuming it was either a Mule or something with bourbon.

We both got an appetizer as there were so many on the menu that looked good!

For entrees Steve stuck with seafood and ordered the Catch of the Day:

View attachment 537488

Salmon with a type of couscous and parmesan......thing? Crouton? Yeah again, I need to take better notes on specials! He doesn't like when salmon isn't cooked enough and this was cooked perfect for him.

Great update and your experience was as good as ours at the Wave last week...LOVED it. Also loved that drink so much myself that I got two of them...and then Frank had to drive back to our resort!



Probably should have had more to eat earlier in the day. I also got the same dinner as Steve:


Mine looks slightly different, it was also delicious though!

I'm so excited for your Thanksgiving trip and a bit jealous. I really think at this point, with no APs, we have to wait until March of 2022 to return as planned for my 50th. So I shall live vicariously through you until that time!

 

[Lsdolphin]

Don’t know what’s up with the Mickey waffles...we had them from Roaring Fork and from Capt Cooks in Sept. and they all tasted the same (Horrible) and went the same place (Trash)!

 

[pkondz]

Therefore we plan on doing Yak & Yeti with our Landry's card for lunch (we'll be in AK obviously) and then we're going to the Boathouse for dinner.

Wow! That sounds like a pretty darned good Thanksgiving to me!

I know I shared that in my TR but I love that shot

Now that's an appetizing shot if ever I took one! They were really not bad. But they WERE spicy, a bit too much so for me and I like spicy.

Huh. If you like spicy and it's too spicy for you... I wonder how many non-spicy lovers out there got a surprise?

Toppings on the side; tomatoes, lettuce, cheese and sour cream:

So... are those automatically given when you order? Or do you ask for certain fixin's? Or?

OMG YES! I cannot tell you how scrumptious this was! I'm not a cupcake person and don't usually feel the need to try any specialty ones but this one really blew me away.

Really! I just read (here on the DIS: <snippet All Disney cupcakes are disappointing) an article about the cupcakes so was both a bit surprised and pleased to see that you liked it.

The Wave. We'd been hear for breakfast before but not dinner,

Need to put this on my list. Wasn't even on my radar before.

Not the best late night selfie:

Totally disagree. You guys look super happy and that's about the best selfie you can take.